i absolutely hate math.im trying to "simplify radical expressions"as summer work and no matter what i do the answer is always wrong.and no matter what i do nothing helps.i fckin hate mathi also think its stupid cause nothing makes sense and the whole system is way to complicated.
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I used to think that they were a royal pain in the seat of the pants. But one of the simple things doing is to reduce your constants to prime factors if there is only a constant under the radical. For example:
√72 = √(2^3 X 3^2) = (2 X 3)√2
Another thing that people often do is to try to move something out from under the radical when you are not allowed to do it. Everything under there is just like something inside parenthesis.
√(x^2 - 2) So many people want to move that x squared term through the radical and leave the 2 under it. I have seen this reduced to: x - √2 or even worse: x√-2.
If you can factor what is under the radical, you should try doing that as your first step. If it doesn't factor out into a square, you are done. (One cute little trick to realize is that most tests, and text book problems will usually work out pretty neatly. If you get a total mess under the radical, check your algebra, because they usually don't look really messy. Not true in all cases, though.)
And I can't help but mention that you need to practice if you are having trouble. When you do something wrong, find out what you did wrong and then add that trick to your repitoire.
√72 = √(2^3 X 3^2) = (2 X 3)√2
Another thing that people often do is to try to move something out from under the radical when you are not allowed to do it. Everything under there is just like something inside parenthesis.
√(x^2 - 2) So many people want to move that x squared term through the radical and leave the 2 under it. I have seen this reduced to: x - √2 or even worse: x√-2.
If you can factor what is under the radical, you should try doing that as your first step. If it doesn't factor out into a square, you are done. (One cute little trick to realize is that most tests, and text book problems will usually work out pretty neatly. If you get a total mess under the radical, check your algebra, because they usually don't look really messy. Not true in all cases, though.)
And I can't help but mention that you need to practice if you are having trouble. When you do something wrong, find out what you did wrong and then add that trick to your repitoire.
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think of it this way
when you see an imperfect radical just right out the multiples until you see a set where you find a perfect square
so example, sqrt 27, = 1 27, 3 9.... oh 9 is a perfect square, so sqrt 9 * sqrt 3 = sqrt 27
sqrt 9 = 3, so it's 3 * sqrt 3
that's not so hard is it?
when you see an imperfect radical just right out the multiples until you see a set where you find a perfect square
so example, sqrt 27, = 1 27, 3 9.... oh 9 is a perfect square, so sqrt 9 * sqrt 3 = sqrt 27
sqrt 9 = 3, so it's 3 * sqrt 3
that's not so hard is it?
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Im in math classes a few years ahead of my grade level but im bad at simplifying radicals because i had an old Asian lady teach it to us that accidentally started talking to us in her language sometimes...
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Cool story. I don't think simplifying radicals is difficult. Instead of complaining on Yahoo Answers, spend more time practicing.